Our week in review

This week went by in such a blur! We had outings or errands to run each day and since I'm such a happy home body, it wore me out and I had to take an afternoon nap twice just to survive! I should haul this aching body to bed after all the nesting I've done this weekend, but I didn't want to forget . . .

Morgan was moved out of the crib today. She'll be three in October, so it's quite overdue but just in time! She was so excited and asked me to get her b'anky and read her a book in her bed. She never got up once tonight! Phew! I haven't been in a hurry to move her out of the crib because she never tried to get out and it'd been pretty nice to have her trapped in there sometimes. In the mornings she'd just hollered for Easton to get her out unless she heard me or Ryan up. Same for her breakfast. It was a beautiful thing while it lasted but I'm excited for all her latest big girl-ness!

Ryan got the boys an electronic money version of Monopoly this weekend and they can't get enough of it! I think they played non-stop yesterday for at least 5 or more hours a break for dinner and then back at it for the evening! We're having quite the cold and rainy snap lately so they haven't been as eager to head out to the trampoline. Easton loves being the banker and managing the game which is fun to see him working those skills. McKay seems to have a pretty good grasp of how the game works and both boys quickly got the hang of Ryan's explanations of making good property trades. It's a bit surreal to hear them talking about having 7.2 million dollars and buying up properties. Every time I hear the electronic transaction going on it sounds like they're playing with my printer and I have to resist the urge to get upset. Where's the volume button?!

McKay's best buddy, Evan, had to have his appendix out last Monday so I took the kids to the hospital to see him and play board games. Before the hour was out, McKay and Evan were up to their usual mischief and Easton was in tears. They'd tried to lock him out of the children's wing. The two are both second born boys and take pleasure in uniting against a bigger foe. Easton's a sensitive soul, poor guy!

We went to a ward cub scout camp fundraiser on Friday night. A friend of mine was in charge of it all and it turned out really great, especially since it was the only bit of sunshine we'd seen in days. Prayers were answered because the minute the closing prayer was said, drops began to fall! We were fed hot dogs, chili, chips and drinks followed by a range of Minute-to-Win-it and classic picnic games -- like the 3 legged race where McKay and Ryan discovered they're not such a good matchup. McKay was eager until the second step taken and the pain/fear set it. Ryan's excitement and the crowd taking off had him mistake McKay's tearful cries for happy laughing. Poor kid probably won't ever want to try that one again! The evening ended with roasting marshmallows and making s'mores! It's been so long since I've had one with campfires being against the law in Germany . . . unless you're on US property like this camp training area we were in! Ryan got a kick out of swapping stories with a ward guy he works with about who's got the deepest pioneer roots. There was such a good turnout and it was great fun to chat with old and new friends in the ward as well as Easton's best friend from school's family joining us too. A third of our ward congregation changes over each summer as military families on three year assignments arrive or depart. We're losing and receiving some great families!

Easton and McKay were chatting tonight over more Monopoly and Easton said that Dad was older than Mom because he was tallest. McKay concurred but then the boys got curious and asked if me if I would/could grow taller than Dad still. They were a little surprised that we were done growing taller but were pleased to hear their own chances were still good for quite some time. They're both very eager to be taller than Dad some day!

Morgan has taken to calling her brothers, "my boys." It's pretty darn cute - especially when she is excited to have put on a dress, twirls around happily and then announces, "I go show my boys! . . . See me boys?!" Everything is possessive -- her toys, her friends "my 'ydia (Lydia)," "my 'avney (Davney)" and so on. It's so fun to have a little girl and she's losing her baby roundness and stretching out. Ryan and I just love this age she's in . . . except for the screaming when she's not getting her way. Yikes! Quite the bossy Bessie!

Ever seen or heard of the Food Nanny? I've watched a couple of her episodes online and really like her meal planning idea of assigning days of the week themes - Italian night, Mexican night, soup night and so on - sounds like it could help get more participation in the discussion of what should be on the menu which I often draw a blank on. I haven't assigned my days yet, but it's swirling in my brain. We recently got a low pressure cooker (for faster prep/cook time) and a juicer which seem to be a big hit. As for the juicer, the kids really liked the initial attempt of apple, carrot, celery combo that I made into a smoothy with a banana. With my discovery of a bakery nearby that bakes delicious fresh baguettes for dinner time, I might just have a new favorite theme to rotate into the dinner repertoire - juice and bread night! That is, if I can keep myself from inhaling the baguette before we sit down to eat! Guess I'll have to buy more than one to be on the safe side.

Ryan's little '95 BMW commuting car is ready to give up the ghost. He's only had it a year and he estimates the dumb thing has probably cost at least $300/month to own with all the little things failing and adding up. So he's on the hunt and having fun dreaming of some of the fun rides he's seen advertised by owners on our local version of craigslist.

I was a blubbering mess today at church - totally hormonal and blessed to feel the Holy Ghost so strongly. Our youth got back from the first international EFY held this past week and shared some of their experiences. 27 languages were represented and I was so happy they had this opportunity! While English was the dominant language group represented, our youth had many chances to be humbled by the strength of their peers in countries where they or their families are the only members in their city or country even. The speakers also addressed the themes of living a Christ-centered life and it being Pioneer Day in the church. The adult speaker spoke of his mother who was the first member of the church in his family and how she wasn't perfect, but left a legacy of being willing to always start again on the fundamentals of a gospel-centered life. I was teaching about Jesus Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the Last Supper so the sacrament hymn "I Stand All Amazed" got me right off the bat. Darn pregnant post-nasal drip, I was a mess! I loved sharing my testimony with my class and am always grateful for the opportunity -- I soooo need the practice and love seeing the potential of these young ladies!

We've been moving furniture around between rooms this weekend getting ready for the baby and I've now sorted through every box of kids' clothing we own and gotten the baby stuff out and washed. He can come anytime now since he's got a place to sleep and clean clothes to wear. It's so exciting to see all those teeny tiny baby socks and imagine favorite outfits being filled soon!

Christmas Spirit Wagon - All Aboard!

I feel like Christmas snuck up on me this year. I've been pretty sick this past month which I won't go into here, but sufficed to say that my functionality was greatly compromised. Doesn't that sound better than being reduced to canned soups, naps, not being able to sleep more than 2 hours at any time day or night, and not really leaving the house for a few weeks? Anyhow, I'm getting on the mend and loving Christmas this year. I think it's because Easton is starting to understand it which just makes me so excited!

With our little homeschool preschool group, I got to introduce the Christmas season last week and I loved how it put me in the Christmas mood! It was all about giving ourselves in loving service and celebrating the birth of our Savior. The kids really got into it and I am really enjoying talking about the nativity story with Easton as it comes up every day. He's so perceptive and it's fun to see that light go on. Yesterday as we were driving into DC for my work party, we were listening to the Scripture Scouts account of Jesus's birth which I love! It spoke of Jesus being born in a stable and not a hospital. Easton said, "Mom, stables have hay where Jesus was born. But I, when I was a baby, was born in a hopsittle." Then he wanted me to recount his favorite hospital story/song about how I sang to him the first time he cried. I loved talking to him about how angels came and told the shepherds to follow the star to find the Savior and how the kings also followed the star to find Him. I'm soaking up rediscovering what Christmas is all about through Easton, making it accessible and simple to him and me.

Not to forget the Santa aspect which Ryan really gets excited about sharing - Easton's loved watching the old Christmas cartoons that come on every year. He's still young and innocent enough to only want one thing for Christmas - a GeoTrax train like Owen's. Although he's now added a candy cane and a video game. (Ryan had borrowed a friend's Wii play system - the kind where the controller can let you swing a bat or play ping pong - and Easton LOVED the cow race arcade style! Tooo cute!) Anyhow, I just love that he doesn't yet embrace the "I want it all" syndrome we get too fast as kids!

I am also simply loving McKay's stage right now at 20 months. He loves to just play and explore everything around him until tuckered out. Then he just comes over to me, says "Up peese" and settles into my lap sucking his thumb and contorting his ear. I regularly have to remind myself to soak up these solicited snuggles while they last! McKay pulls chairs, stools, or stacks books up to whatever he wants to get into or turn off/on. McKay actually will head to the basement on his own to play and I've found him putting together Easton's train tracks that work like puzzle pieces - brilliant boy! He's saying "'elp Peese" and "Ank-woo" for just little things like help getting up or down, receiving a bowl of Cheerios to munch on or his favorite yogurt. This is also a fun time because he loves to celebrate himself with exclamations of "Ta-Dah!" or "Yeah!" complete with claps or arms thrown in the air! He loves to get his groove on to any music playing, especially if he turned it on and I LOVE that impish smile of sheer joy!

Right now McKay is pushing buttons on a funny noisy toy and looking up at me saying, "Mom-Mom, it funny." The nn is more of a yy sound, but it's hilarious to me that he gets it!

There is, I admit, always an exasperating spell or two per day where I joke with Ryan about McKay taking my name in vain. You know when little ones have only one volume button and it's hollering your name over and over just because they can or often just wanting acknowledgement of each move they make? When McKay's repeat button is stuck, it's him hollering "Mom-Mom." It cracks me up that I can give him specific directions or reason with him

McKay is our kitchen quality control because he likes to sniff and taste every ingredient. If Ryan is in the kitchen, he actually just toddles over to Ryan with his mouth open wide either grunting or saying "Peese!" because if Ryan's in the kitchen, he's making some sort of treat!

Back to my original thought about catching the Christmas spirit. The prophet said in his Christmas fireside that with all the hard things people around us are going through, we should be saying, "It's Christmas Time. What can I do for you?" I've been thinking about that a lot these past two weeks because for the past few months now I've been so blessed to be a recipient of others' service. Recently struggling with my health, I was surrounded by Ryan, my best friend Rach who came for Thanksgiving, my sister Brooks who also visited and always cheers me up, my mom calling to check in on me, and many devoted caring friends that saw through my feeble attempts at stoicism when I just wanted/needed to crumble. These caring friends exemplified the two following recent quotes from Elder Teh's General Conference address:
- "Our Heavenly Father places loving individuals on important crossroads to help us so that we are not left alone to grope in the dark."
- "Serving others need not come from spectacular events. Often it is the simple daily act that gives comfort, uplifts, encourages, sustains, and brings a smile to others."

It fits so perfectly with the short quotes in this month's Visiting Teaching about Becoming an Instrument in the Hands of God by Exercising Charity. How lucky am I to be blessed with so many caring friends that I did not feel forsaken, but instead felt completely buoyed through a rough time and joyful for such good women! In fact, I was not able to retreat from some of their efforts which in the end endeared them to me even more. Thank you wonderful friends - I hope you know who you are and if you've had contact with me in the past few weeks it is you!!!

On a trivial note of love to my cute boyfriend - Ryan still trumps you all because he installed a new faucet in the kitchen for me which makes me want to belt out a Hallelujah chorus every time I turn it on! Ryan's always doing little things for me to show he loves me, such a great heart! Funny story actually - Easton's first use of the faucet that night and he exclaimed, "Mom! Is this one of my Christmas presents?!" Man I love my guys!

My family has been so blessed in the past year with health and employment that I'm just so happy I'm home with the kids, that Ryan has a job he enjoys, that we have everything we really could need or want. I have a cousin whose house burnt down in the California fires. I think of her often and others I know who are currently struggling with various things. So many of us are so blessed, do we do enough to share ourselves and lift another's burden?

One of the best toys ever!

A few weeks ago I did a garage sale with a friend who has watched my boys on many occasions. Easton loves her house so much I have a hard time even getting him to give me a hug or say goodbye! She had set aside this Thomas the Train puzzle for Easton because he loves to put it together at her house every time. This has been one of the best toys ever!!! I would love to find many, many more!

Easton needed help for the first day we had it out, but he literally spent two days straight working on it over and over til he had mastered it. He puts it together/takes it apart ect in at least three or four sessions a day still! And now McKay is in on the action. It's also been a kid magent for vistors - boys and girls alike! Easton's little friends love it on playdates and my Joy School preschool kids crowd around to work together on it! The three year olds amazingly work together well on this joint project w/ no need for mediation! HURRAY from the mommy crowd! And when they tear it apart in great shouts of celebration, it doesn't hurt when the pieces are thrown in the air like graduation caps! Who knew a puzzle could be so fun?!

Tonight I just had to get some pictures of the boys working on it together as they've now pretty well found their groove (after at least one reminder for McKay to help bring Easton pieces, and Easton to be patient with whatever piece is handed to him and say Thank you to his brother). Between this and now the trampoline, this is one happy mommy who gets to watch her boys becoming best buds playing together!

Come To Me

We're enjoying sessions of our church's semi-annual General Conference. I love this opportunity to spend time at home with my family and re-focus my life as we listen to the prophet and leaders of the church. It doesn't get better than this!

This morning, I had a little light bulb experience. Almost 18 months old now, McKay was trying to pile up some pillows to collapse into. He became frustrated and began throwing a mild tantrum about it not working out the way he wanted. I was watching him do all of this from the comfy sidelines of the couch, letting him figure it all out for himself.

My mommy instinct kicked in and I called to him. He picked up his head, ran to me and we snuggled on the couch. A little later I was playing with the boys in the basement and I got to thinking of that moment upstairs.

The thought occurred to me that Heavenly Father is always there beckoning to me to Come to Him in the midst of my ups and downs. How often I struggle on my own and become consumed in a tantrum of sorts frustrated at my own inabilities to accomplish things on my own according to my own agenda. How often I've been reminded by the Holy Ghost that our Heavenly Father is ever extending His arms to me.

I was still thinking about this little lesson as this morning's conference session began with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing an arrangement of one of my all-time children's songbook favorites "A Child's Prayer". [Click here to listen]

This song is very dear to me. It took me back to the horrible time when I was so upset about not being able to nurse Easton because I'd become really sick. Easton was only six weeks old and he couldn't have the medication I needed to get well. I was listening to the children's songbook cds as this song came on and it was once again one of those times I felt washed over with my Heavenly Father's love and awareness of my little trial.

Derailed

This morning I was happily getting us all ready to head out the door for institute (scripture study class). Ryan was working from home this morning so the boys weren't totally on their own while I was getting ready. Two toddlers having free reign is never good for long and McKay . . . ahhh, McKay.

I had 20 minutes to get out the door and everything was going great on my little "schedule" for the morning. All I had to do was get dressed and dry my hair. A friend stopped by so I got a little derailed then I hear a crash downstairs followed by Ryan's forceful voice disciplining the guilty party.

I finish up my call quick and Ryan says, "Tracie, come down here." I sheepishly hedged, "I don't want to." We went back and forth as I came down. I thought it couldn't be good, but probably not much beyond McKay's ordinary daily breakfast tossing - or so I thought.

I had a moment of panic as I saw big splashes of red on the dining and living room carpet. I thought it was blood at first, but Ryan wasn't in emergency mode. It was spaghetti sauce. McKay had dropped a glass jar of it in the entry way where it broke, but he quickly proceeded with it through the dining room to the living room. Ryan was furious! I was more upset that it was going to make me late for institute but was so happy Ryan was there to help clean it up with me because I just might still make it there. McKay's messes are daily events at least 3 times per day with meals, but it's always interesting to see someone else in a patience crisis and have the ver and each time I get a new test of "patience practicum."

Miraculously the jar had stayed intact, but had a nickle-sized hole on a top edge which had let big drops of sauce splatter on the carpet.